Senior Software Engineer, TV Playback (C++)

EngineeringBackendPermanentLondon or StockholmWe design Spotify’s consumer experience—end to end, moment to moment, across every screen, platform, and partner integration. Our mission is to make listening feel effortless, personal, and joyful for billions of users around the world. That means turning complexity into clarity across hundreds of touchpoints—from our mobile and desktop apps to the smart speakers, TVs, cars, and integrations where Spotify shows up every day. If it touches a consumer, we shape it. We bring deep insight into human behavior, design, and technology to craft experiences that feel intuitive, expressive, and unmistakably Spotify. At Spotify, we’re building the best way to experience audio and video — everywhere, every time. As listening and watching on TV continues to grow, we’re investing deeply in native, video-first playback experiences that are fast, reliable, and feel effortless. The Native Playback team sits at the heart of Spotify’s TV strategy. We integrate Spotify’s playback experience with the native players and media frameworks available on each platform. Our work happens close to the system — where performance, reliability, and quality truly matter — and directly impacts how millions of people experience Spotify every day. What You'll Do Design, build, and evolve the C++ integration layer that powers Spotify’s audio and video playback on TV devices running our new Rust runtime Integrate Spotify’s playback experience with platform-native media frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, or equivalent TV player stacks Own critical playback areas including buffering strategies, playback state handling, A/V synchronization, adaptive bitrate configuration, track selection, and rendering paths Debug complex performance and reliability issues across multiple layers — from application logic to OS-level frameworks and hardware acceleration Partner closely with Playback platform teams and device teams to ensure shared APIs and designs translate cleanly into real-world TV implementations Improve test coverage, tooling, and observability to detect regressions and speed up iteration cycles Contribute to thoughtful technical design discussions and raise the bar for playback quality through code reviews and knowledge sharing Who You Are You have strong of experience building low-level systems in C++, ideally within video, media, or playback domains You have hands-on experience integrating native playback frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, vendor SDKs, or similar media stacks You have a deep understanding of video playback fundamentals including codecs, streaming formats, adaptive bitrate (ABR), buffering behavior, and A/V synchronization trade-offs You are comfortable working close to the OS and media framework layer and diagnosing issues that span multiple system boundaries You have experience contributing to the design and evolution of scalable technical systems across platforms You are confident debugging performance and reliability issues using logs, traces, profilers, and system diagnostics tools You collaborate effectively across teams and communicate technical trade-offs clearly You care deeply about delivering reliable, high-quality playback experiences for millions of users Where You'll Be This role is based in London or Stockholm. We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best. While some in-person collaboration is expected, you’ll also have the option to work from home. Our global benefitsExtensive learning opportunities, through our dedicated team, GreenHouse.Flexible share incentives letting you choose how you share in our success.Global parental leave, six months off - for all new parents.All The Feels, our employee assistance program and self-care hub.Flexible public holidays, swap days off according to your values and beliefs.EngineeringBackendPermanentLondon or StockholmWe design Spotify’s consumer experience—end to end, moment to moment, across every screen, platform, and partner integration. Our mission is to make listening feel effortless, personal, and joyful for billions of users around the world. That means turning complexity into clarity across hundreds of touchpoints—from our mobile and desktop apps to the smart speakers, TVs, cars, and integrations where Spotify shows up every day. If it touches a consumer, we shape it. We bring deep insight into human behavior, design, and technology to craft experiences that feel intuitive, expressive, and unmistakably Spotify. At Spotify, we’re building the best way to experience audio and video — everywhere, every time. As listening and watching on TV continues to grow, we’re investing deeply in native, video-first playback experiences that are fast, reliable, and feel effortless. The Native Playback team sits at the heart of Spotify’s TV strategy. We integrate Spotify’s playback experience with the native players and media frameworks available on each platform. Our work happens close to the system — where performance, reliability, and quality truly matter — and directly impacts how millions of people experience Spotify every day.EngineeringBackendEngineeringEngineering

Engineering

Backend

Backend

Permanent

Permanent

London or StockholmLondon or StockholmWe design Spotify’s consumer experience—end to end, moment to moment, across every screen, platform, and partner integration. Our mission is to make listening feel effortless, personal, and joyful for billions of users around the world. That means turning complexity into clarity across hundreds of touchpoints—from our mobile and desktop apps to the smart speakers, TVs, cars, and integrations where Spotify shows up every day. If it touches a consumer, we shape it. We bring deep insight into human behavior, design, and technology to craft experiences that feel intuitive, expressive, and unmistakably Spotify.We design Spotify’s consumer experience—end to end, moment to moment, across every screen, platform, and partner integration. Our mission is to make listening feel effortless, personal, and joyful for billions of users around the world. That means turning complexity into clarity across hundreds of touchpoints—from our mobile and desktop apps to the smart speakers, TVs, cars, and integrations where Spotify shows up every day. If it touches a consumer, we shape it. We bring deep insight into human behavior, design, and technology to craft experiences that feel intuitive, expressive, and unmistakably Spotify.At Spotify, we’re building the best way to experience audio and video — everywhere, every time. As listening and watching on TV continues to grow, we’re investing deeply in native, video-first playback experiences that are fast, reliable, and feel effortless. The Native Playback team sits at the heart of Spotify’s TV strategy. We integrate Spotify’s playback experience with the native players and media frameworks available on each platform. Our work happens close to the system — where performance, reliability, and quality truly matter — and directly impacts how millions of people experience Spotify every day.At Spotify, we’re building the best way to experience audio and video — everywhere, every time. As listening and watching on TV continues to grow, we’re investing deeply in native, video-first playback experiences that are fast, reliable, and feel effortless. The Native Playback team sits at the heart of Spotify’s TV strategy. We integrate Spotify’s playback experience with the native players and media frameworks available on each platform. Our work happens close to the system — where performance, reliability, and quality truly matter — and directly impacts how millions of people experience Spotify every day.At Spotify, we’re building the best way to experience audio and video — everywhere, every time. As listening and watching on TV continues to grow, we’re investing deeply in native, video-first playback experiences that are fast, reliable, and feel effortless.The Native Playback team sits at the heart of Spotify’s TV strategy. We integrate Spotify’s playback experience with the native players and media frameworks available on each platform. Our work happens close to the system — where performance, reliability, and quality truly matter — and directly impacts how millions of people experience Spotify every day.What You'll Do Design, build, and evolve the C++ integration layer that powers Spotify’s audio and video playback on TV devices running our new Rust runtime Integrate Spotify’s playback experience with platform-native media frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, or equivalent TV player stacks Own critical playback areas including buffering strategies, playback state handling, A/V synchronization, adaptive bitrate configuration, track selection, and rendering paths Debug complex performance and reliability issues across multiple layers — from application logic to OS-level frameworks and hardware acceleration Partner closely with Playback platform teams and device teams to ensure shared APIs and designs translate cleanly into real-world TV implementations Improve test coverage, tooling, and observability to detect regressions and speed up iteration cycles Contribute to thoughtful technical design discussions and raise the bar for playback quality through code reviews and knowledge sharingWhat You'll Do Design, build, and evolve the C++ integration layer that powers Spotify’s audio and video playback on TV devices running our new Rust runtime Integrate Spotify’s playback experience with platform-native media frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, or equivalent TV player stacks Own critical playback areas including buffering strategies, playback state handling, A/V synchronization, adaptive bitrate configuration, track selection, and rendering paths Debug complex performance and reliability issues across multiple layers — from application logic to OS-level frameworks and hardware acceleration Partner closely with Playback platform teams and device teams to ensure shared APIs and designs translate cleanly into real-world TV implementations Improve test coverage, tooling, and observability to detect regressions and speed up iteration cycles Contribute to thoughtful technical design discussions and raise the bar for playback quality through code reviews and knowledge sharing

What You'll Do

• Design, build, and evolve the C++ integration layer that powers Spotify’s audio and video playback on TV devices running our new Rust runtime
• Integrate Spotify’s playback experience with platform-native media frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, or equivalent TV player stacks
• Own critical playback areas including buffering strategies, playback state handling, A/V synchronization, adaptive bitrate configuration, track selection, and rendering paths
• Debug complex performance and reliability issues across multiple layers — from application logic to OS-level frameworks and hardware acceleration
• Partner closely with Playback platform teams and device teams to ensure shared APIs and designs translate cleanly into real-world TV implementations
• Improve test coverage, tooling, and observability to detect regressions and speed up iteration cycles
• Contribute to thoughtful technical design discussions and raise the bar for playback quality through code reviews and knowledge sharing

Who You Are You have strong of experience building low-level systems in C++, ideally within video, media, or playback domains You have hands-on experience integrating native playback frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, vendor SDKs, or similar media stacks You have a deep understanding of video playback fundamentals including codecs, streaming formats, adaptive bitrate (ABR), buffering behavior, and A/V synchronization trade-offs You are comfortable working close to the OS and media framework layer and diagnosing issues that span multiple system boundaries You have experience contributing to the design and evolution of scalable technical systems across platforms You are confident debugging performance and reliability issues using logs, traces, profilers, and system diagnostics tools You collaborate effectively across teams and communicate technical trade-offs clearly You care deeply about delivering reliable, high-quality playback experiences for millions of usersWho You Are You have strong of experience building low-level systems in C++, ideally within video, media, or playback domains You have hands-on experience integrating native playback frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, vendor SDKs, or similar media stacks You have a deep understanding of video playback fundamentals including codecs, streaming formats, adaptive bitrate (ABR), buffering behavior, and A/V synchronization trade-offs You are comfortable working close to the OS and media framework layer and diagnosing issues that span multiple system boundaries You have experience contributing to the design and evolution of scalable technical systems across platforms You are confident debugging performance and reliability issues using logs, traces, profilers, and system diagnostics tools You collaborate effectively across teams and communicate technical trade-offs clearly You care deeply about delivering reliable, high-quality playback experiences for millions of users

Who You Are

• You have strong of experience building low-level systems in C++, ideally within video, media, or playback domains
• You have hands-on experience integrating native playback frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, vendor SDKs, or similar media stacks
• You have a deep understanding of video playback fundamentals including codecs, streaming formats, adaptive bitrate (ABR), buffering behavior, and A/V synchronization trade-offs
• You are comfortable working close to the OS and media framework layer and diagnosing issues that span multiple system boundaries
• You have experience contributing to the design and evolution of scalable technical systems across platforms
• You are confident debugging performance and reliability issues using logs, traces, profilers, and system diagnostics tools
• You collaborate effectively across teams and communicate technical trade-offs clearly
• You care deeply about delivering reliable, high-quality playback experiences for millions of users

Where You'll Be This role is based in London or Stockholm. We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best. While some in-person collaboration is expected, you’ll also have the option to work from home.Where You'll Be This role is based in London or Stockholm. We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best. While some in-person collaboration is expected, you’ll also have the option to work from home.

Where You'll Be

• This role is based in London or Stockholm.
• We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best. While some in-person collaboration is expected, you’ll also have the option to work from home.

Our global benefitsExtensive learning opportunities, through our dedicated team, GreenHouse.Flexible share incentives letting you choose how you share in our success.Global parental leave, six months off - for all new parents.All The Feels, our employee assistance program and self-care hub.Flexible public holidays, swap days off according to your values and beliefs.Our global benefits

Our global benefits

Extensive learning opportunities, through our dedicated team, GreenHouse.Extensive learning opportunities, through our dedicated team, GreenHouse.Extensive learning opportunities,Flexible share incentives letting you choose how you share in our success.Flexible share incentives letting you choose how you share in our success.Flexible share incentivesGlobal parental leave, six months off - for all new parents.Global parental leave, six months off - for all new parents.Global parental leave,All The Feels, our employee assistance program and self-care hub.All The Feels, our employee assistance program and self-care hub.All The Feels,Flexible public holidays, swap days off according to your values and beliefs.Flexible public holidays, swap days off according to your values and beliefs.Flexible public holidays,Similar jobsSenior Data Engineer, Data PlatformLondonLondonEngineeringDataPermanentFrontend Engineer, MusicLondon or StockholmLondon or StockholmEngineeringWebPermanentSenior Staff Engineer, Platform & Partner ExperienceLondon or StockholmLondon or StockholmEngineeringEngineering LeadershipPermanentSee all similar jobsSimilar jobs

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